Bridgeklub Odense team consisted of: Rico Hemberg & MartinSchaltz and Peter & Dorthe Schaltz: Martin’s parents. Martin Schaltz among other things in 1999 won the award: The Levendaal Award for Best Play by a Junior (Click here to read it) and in 2011, July 27 in Toronto NABC was one of the team’s players that eliminated the Spingold seeding # 1 team, the Diamond team: Brian Platnick, Fred Gitelman, Brad Moss, Eric Greco and Geoff Hampson.

Board 30: Martin Schaltz showed an attractive bridge judgmente that undoubtedly helped his team to tie the match:

K 7 5 2 J 8K 10 7 6 Q 5 2

9 3 10 6 Q 9 4 2 A J 9 6 3

J 10 4 5 4 3 2 8 K 10 8 7 4

A Q 8 6 A K Q 9 7 A J 5 3

In one room:

West

North

East

South

Peter Schaltz

Hilmer

Dhorte Schaltz

Heby

Pass

1

Pass

1

Pass

4

Pass

4

The End

North closed the game showing no interest to play slam, South passed. Declarer made 12 tricks.

In the other room:

West

North

East

South

Hansen

Hemberg

Klug

Martin Schaltz

Pass

1

Pass

1

Pass

4

Pass

4

Pass

5

Pass

5

Pass

6

The End

The bidding started as in the other room, but when Martin heared his partner wasnt interested in slam, he insisted showing his club control. Now Hemberg, whose hand was now definitely much better named his Diamond control, when Martin saw the K in his partners hands, invited to play a Grand Slam with a 6 call, but his partner decided to pass and defined 6 as the final contract.

Declarer ruffed the club lead, played the A, and he saw East playing the 8. So he won next trick letting run the J, and watching East pitching the 2. He continued with the diamond finesse with the 10 and claimed.

This is what Peter Schaltz comment about the hand:

“It is not entirely correct. 6 is not inviting a grand slam, but simply a suggestion to play. If I wanted to invite a grand slam, I would have bid 1 – 1, 5, get a number of aces and then bid 6.

Here 6 just shows my distribution and can easily be the right place to play. My partner can easily have a good/long diamond suit and xxxx in spades.”